Macau: Event race two report

Farfus Wins as Tarquini takes FIA World Touring Car Championship Title
Augusto Farfus took victory for BMW in the shortened final round of the FIA
World Touring Car Championship in Macau on Sunday, as SEAT's Gabriele
Tarquini clinched the...

Augusto Farfus took victory for BMW in the shortened final round of the FIA
World Touring Car Championship in Macau on Sunday, as SEAT's Gabriele
Tarquini clinched the drivers' crown.

Farfus led away cleanly from pole position, and held an advantage
throughout the early stages of the race from BMW team-mate Jorg Muller, who
himself was fighting off the close attention of SEAT duo Yvan Muller and
Tiago Monteiro.

Their battle was interrupted by a safety car on lap three, when Tom
Boardman crashed in the Solitude Esses, and then the race was red flagged
at the end of lap eight when there was a spectacular crash at the R Bend
final corner.

Felix Porteiro had run wide and hit the barriers, before his car was swiped
by Franz Engstler's BMW. Engstler's car was then left stationary in the
middle of the track where it was collected heavily by local driver Andre
Couto.

With debris all over the track there was no option but to halt the race
and, after a brief delay, it was decided that the event would not be
restarted.

It meant that Tarquini's fifth placed finish was enough for him to take the
FIA WTCC crown, with his SEAT team doing enough to take the manufacturers'
title.

Tarquini had been suffering an engine misfire in the second race so was
nervous about his chances of taking the title if there had been a restart -
so was relieved that his accidents earlier in the weekend and the late
drama had not hit his title chances.

"It is fantastic," said Tarquini. "I had some crashes in practice and
qualifying, which isn't the best way to approach the weekend in Macau, but
the team did a fantastic job to rebuild the car."